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Kobe Bryant is About to Pass Michael Jordan in Points Scored

Kobe Bryant has made quite the career out of impersonating Michael Jordan. Bryant’s studious, obsessive emulation of MJ’s form of isolation basketball has made him the league’s most famous, prized hero-baller since His Airness hung up his ever-famous shoes (for the third and final time) in 2003.

And now, Kobe is mere games away from passing Jordan in a certain page of the record books. Bryant is No. 4 all-time in NBA scoring with 32,262 points; Jordan is No. 3, but just 30 ahead of the Black Mamba with 32,292. That gap is one Kobe should be able to close by the end of the weekend — his Los Angeles Lakers play twice between now and Monday, against the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves, and Bryant averages 25.5 points per game.

It’s only a short matter of time until Kobe surpasses his idol.

But we don’t have to wait any longer for Bryant to lose his mind. He’s had it up to here with the mediocrity of his current Lakers squad, and the world saw that loudly and clearly with his recent outburst at a team practice. Bryant had these not-safe-for-work words to say when the session let out on Thursday:

It’s almost hard to believe the situation in L.A.

Bryant has always been a difficult personality, but now that he’s surrounded by a platoon of inexperienced, immature players — including the always-vocal Nick Young — it’s bringing out the very worst of his hyper-competitive tendencies. With Kobe at their center, the NBA’s most-storied franchise has become something of a farce for now.

One wonders if the Lakers can bring title competition back to Hollywood before Kobe’s career ends. Perhaps the unlikely prospect of Rajon Rondo coming to the Lakers—with rumors of such sparked by a recent breakfast rendezvous — will make things interesting again. Otherwise, Lakers fans will have to wait out the career of one of their most darling stars in Bryant before they can earnestly root for a championship again.